One is Silver, Another Gold, But a Third is Kryptonite
by authorwannabe101
Summary: Sequel to After Years of Secrets and Hurt, Do You Hate Me? You must read that first! Otherwise, many things will not make sense! Joe finally takes Frank to Camp Half-Blood with Biff, but when they get there they find that there's a battle on the horizon. When it rises, truths will be revealed and people hurt.


**I'm back! Here's the sequel to After Years of Secrets and Hurt, Do You Hate Me?. You do need to read it to understand this.**

**PJandLGequalsLove - Well, I took a while, but here it is!**

**Hmm... I just had a good idea. Note to self, buy Joe Hardy so ****I can give him to Bookdancer so she could torture him all day long and crank out stories for us about it.**.. And Frank so he can be in there too. Ah, why don't I just buy the whole series? And I can gift myself with Percy Jackson... If you haven't guessed, I do not own **Percy Jackson or the Hardy Boys.**

"Frank!" Joe called. "It's time to go!"

"I know," the sixteen year old said exasperatedly. "I've been waiting by the door for you for the past ten minutes."

"Oops. Sorry, Frank," the fifteen year old apologized. "Although, you have been waiting for Biff too."

"He's here, and I thought Nico was coming too?"

"He's meeting us at camp, remember? Chiron needed to talk to him about something in person last night and Nico stayed there."

"How am I supposed to remember when you don't tell me?"

"Oops again," Joe laughed.

Rolling his eyes, Frank opened the door and walked outside, Joe and Biff following. As they all climbed on their motorcycles, Biff cried, "Camp, here we come!"

* * *

Nico fidgeted on top of Half-Blood Hill. He was waiting for his friends so he could tell them what Chiron had told him the night before. There was an army of monsters on the other side Manhattan, with only a day's march before they were on Camp Half-Blood. This meant that all demigods, no matter where they were in the country, were being called back to Camp. Once there, they would join the preparations for an attack. Ares Cabin was doing patrols, Hephaestus forging new weapons and sharpening old. Demeter, Dionysus, and the satyrs were teaching the plants and strawberries to recognize monsters and how to attack. The Hunters were prepping the battle stations in the trees. Apollo was readying the infirmary. Hermes was building traps. Athena went over battle strategies. Aphrodite was in New York City and would be returning later with bags of perfume. Hecate was casting spells. Hypnos was giving energy to the campers so that they would be able to fight longer and harder by sleeping and transferring some of the gained energy. Zeus' Cabin consisted of only Thalia, who was part of the Hunters. Poseidon had only Percy and Tyson, both of whom were in Atlantis. Percy would return later with weapons that the cyclops had made to add to Hephaestus' pile. Hades' Cabin was only Nico, and he was waiting at the entrance to Camp. Everyone was doing whatever they could.

The son of Hades shifted again, watching the skyline anxiously. His head twisted to the left as he heard the familiar sound of Hephaestus' Cabin tuned engines. His eyes picked out three motorcycles cresting the horizon, and Nico let a sigh of relief escape his lips. Ares needed their second-in-command and Camp needed their comic relief. With the Stoll Brothers worried about their third piece, they hadn't been playing practical jokes. This lowered camp morale and the number of people in the infirmary at the same time.

Nico gave a yell and a wave, gesturing for his friends to roar right up to the border. "I, Nico DiAngelo, son of Hades, give Frank Hardy permission to enter!" With the words said, the only mortal between them came through without a problem. "Come on," Nico told them, jumping behind Biff on his motorcycle. "Hurry to the Big House. Most of the counselors are waiting there."

"Nico?" the son of Ares asked, "What's going on?"

"You'll find out," said boy snapped. "Just drive."

The boys did as he commanded, Frank staring around himself in amazement at all the campers hurrying to and fro.

"Is this what it's always like?" He yelled over the motorcycles's roar to Joe.

"No!" the son of Apollo called. "It hasn't looked like this since the Battle of Manhattan!"

Coming to a stop in front of the Big House, Joe demanded of Nico, "What's going on? Everyone is acting like they did in the war!"

"Just come on! You'll find out inside!" Nico told him, pulling the teen inside. Biff and Frank shared a glance before hurrying after them.

Inside, Nico was talking to a centaur Frank assumed to be Chiron. "I brought them to the meeting because they don't know what's going on yet. They'll be able to help as well. Biff is second-in-command of the Ares Cabin, and Joe and Frank are both detectives. They might see something we missed." The Ares Counselor moved to speak, but was interrupted by the Stolls.

"Joe!" They cried, relief showing on their faces. Jumping out of their seats, they embraced the boy. "Thank the gods you're safe!" Travis said.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Joe laughed, though unease was expressed. Something was going on, something dangerous.

"Getting back to the conversation. Frank is mortal!" Clarisse cried, glaring at the younger boy. "He hasn't had any training or anything! He'll only be in the way once the battle starts!"

"He doesn't have to fight!" Nico argued. "He can help here now and in the infirmary later!"

"Then he'll be in the way of us!" Will objected. He turned to his half-brother and said, "I'm sorry, Joe. I know how much you were looking forward to Frank visiting Camp. But at a time like this..."

"A time like what? We don't even know what's going on with all the preparations, and you're talking of kicking Frank out!" Joe cried.

At this, Chiron sighed before saying, "We will discuss where Frank goes later. Right now, we need to talk strategy. Biff, Joe, there is an army of monsters a day's journey from Camp. The Hunters confirm it is at least as big as Kronos' army was, if not bigger. They have no obvious leader from what they could tell. No titan, no god, no one."

The two boys groaned. "Not another war!" Joe complained.

"Unfortunately, yes," Chiron answered.

Biff questioned, "Where's Percy?"

Annabeth replied, "At Atlantis with Tyson. They're coming back tonight with cyclops-made weapons."

"What about the wards Joe told me about?" Frank asked.

"Not enough to hold them back in the numbers they have," Chiron said grimly.

"And the gods? What are they doing?" Joe asked.

"Nothing. It's in the mortal world, they can't do anything," another voice said from the doorway.

Joe spun and cried, embracing the man standing there, "Mark! What are you doing here? The meeting's only for counselors!"

"And what are you?" The son of Ares laughed.

Joe shrugged sheepishly before turning to his brother and saying, "Frank, this is Mark. He's Biff's half-brother and a good friend of ours."

Frank smiled, "Hi."

"Hi yourself," Mark replied before turning back to Joe. "I just wanted to see you, that's all. I think I was worrying more than the Stolls."

"Inconceivable!" They replied, letting an indignant note slip into their voices.

Grinning, Mark waved goodbye and said, "I gotta go. See you later."

Then he left, unaware that Nico was staring after him thinking 'Something's off'.

* * *

Joe looked to his left and saw Nico. He looked right and saw Biff and Mark. He checked behind him and noted Frank was still in the infirmary, standing by the door and waiting to help carry in the injured. He turned back around and found an army of monsters.

It had been a day since his arrival back at Camp Half-Blood, and the battle was almost here. Everything was ready and people were at their battle stations. Now, he was just waiting for the signal from Percy, who would be signaled by Annabeth.

Readying himself and pulling out his sword, Joe stood straighter as he heard running water. Almost time...

Then Percy charged, yelling and in the middle of a hurricane, and the demigods ran after him, screaming in anger at the monsters who dared invade their home. The Battle for Camp Half-Blood had begun.

* * *

Nico looked around for his friends. There was Joe in a tree station he had climbed into an hour ago, firing arrows into the chaos. Biff had just killed the minotaur and moved on to help Clarisse with a pair of hyperboreans. He knew Frank was safe in the infirmary. The Stolls were flirting with the gorgons. Thalia was fighting back to back with Annabeth against four hellhounds. Percy had let go of his hurricane and turned into a one man army against the telkhines. Grover was directing the naiads in an attack against a ten-headed hydra.

But where was Mark? Nico didn't care about him, but he also didn't trust him. There was just something fishy about him that didn't come from hanging out with a son of Poseidon. That is, if Mark would. Last time the son of Hades checked, Mark detested Percy. Had ever since the son of Ares was clobbered by the younger boy. That hate had only increased with all of Percy's feats, especially beating Ares in a fight. So Nico wanted to know where the man was. And... ah! There he was! Cutting the head off a fourteen year old Demeter girl. 'Wait, what?' Nico thought, freezing mid-step and nearly getting killed by one of his own skeletons. "MARK!" He screamed. "HOW COULD YOU?!"

Nico watched as the man turned to face him before walking towards him. The son of Hades dimly noticed that around them, the battle slowed to a stop.

"How could I?" Mark laughed. "Easily. Do you know how much I've wanted every little demigod dead since I came to camp?"

"WHAT?!" Three voices screamed, and Nico watched as Clarisse, Biff, and Joe appeared out of the crowd, the rest of the Ares Cabin behind them.

"Why?" Joe cried. "You have friends here! Family! I understand why some demigods fought against the gods, but why us?"

"Because Luke and Kronos were wrong in one part! It isn't just the gods who are weak! It's the demigods as well! We sit around, training, and we just leave the monsters alone unless they come to us! Out in the real world, others die because of that! Why don't we just kill off the monsters?"

"You know why," Annabeth spoke, voice trembling. "Because they just come back. Don't you think we want to do something about it? We can't! We've thought of everything possible, and there's always some unmountable obstacle! And you speak of dead demigods, yet you do just that right now!"

"There's always an answer! And I need to start with a new generation, which means killing all of you!"

"You'll never succeed," Percy interrupted. "Although before we get rid of the rest of your army, answer one question for me. Were you a spy for Kronos?"

"Of course!" Mark laughed. "He was killing you off, why wouldn't I be? Besides, do you honestly think that spineless Aphrodite girl," Katie Gardner held Clarisse back, "could tell the titan of time her boyfriend was on his way and not plead for his life? Of course not! Kronos was actually pondering it, on the requirement that she double her information load! I had to persuade him to do otherwise! And she wasn't just confessing to her crimes when she revealed her bracelet, she was telling you you had another spy! You were just too idiotic to see it! And now, my army will finish you off once and for all!"

Now that Mark had finished his spiel, Katie looked questioningly to Percy. He nodded, and she released Clarisse. The enraged girl charged him, holding Maimer aloft, and screamed out the Ares Cabin battle cry. Behind her ran the rest of her siblings, with the obvious exception of Mark.

Nico cut through the crowd of fighting monsters and half-bloods to Joe's side, sending the hellhound behind him to Tartarus before it could kill the son of Apollo. "Joe!" He cried over the sound of battle. "Come on! You need to fight! You can't die today! Not now! Not with Frank and your parents and Aunt waiting for you! And Biff! He needs you more than ever with this betrayal!"

"But who will help me?" Joe spoke so softly Nico had to strain his ears to hear him. "Mark was like my brother, Nico! And he wanted me dead! He _wants_ me dead!"

"I will," the son of Hades answered. "I will help you, Joe, but you need to fight so you live so that I can help you!"

"Ok. Ok. OK!" Each 'ok' was stronger, louder, until the last one was screamed out, all of the son of Apollo's pain contained in that one word. Nodding to one another and silently wishing the other well, Nico and Joe turned and fought back to back.

* * *

Frank looked around the infirmary in horror. The battle had stilled outside, but in here... the same battle continued on. The one for life. Around him, dozens of half-bloods lay on their death bed, fighting to flee and awake. To survive. And even with the number inside, more were being carried in every second. A Hunter found in a tree station... a satyr among the strawberries... a Hermes child found on a wandering pegasus... everywhere, the injured were everywhere, and it was impossible to escape the blood.

He turned around at the sound of his name, looking at Will Solace. "Frank," the son of Apollo repeated, tiredness dripping from his words, "Get some rest. You haven't left since six hours before the battle began, and it's been three days since then. Go to bed."

"What about you?" Frank rasped, and he cleared his throat. It was soar from yelling orders at people bringing in demigods. "You've been here longer, Will."

"I'm used to it," the elder boy shrugged. "I was awake for five days straight for the Battle of the Labyrinth and eight for the Battle of Manhattan. I'm only at four right now."

"Will," another voice spoke softly, and the two boys turned to see a daughter of Apollo with blonde hair and brown eyes standing there. Her shoulders were drooping from lack of sleep, but one-half of the Hardy Boys noted that there was something else holding her down. "Will, they found Arlene and Joe."

Frank's ears perked up at the sound of his brother's name. "Joe?" he spoke hoarsely.

The girl glanced at him, recognition in her eyes. "You're his brother, aren't you?" she whispered.

He nodded, his own eyes pleading with her to tell him what had happened.

She sighed and whispered, "Arlene's dead, Will. And their bringing in Joe now. There's a one percent chance he'll make it."

Frank's heart dropped from his chest down to his shoes.

* * *

Frank glanced at Nico as they waited for Joe's status and asked, "Who's Arlene?"

"A daughter of Apollo. Why?"

"She's dead. She was found with Joe."

Nico nodded slowly before speaking, "Arlene Jasz. Eleven years old. Not the youngest in the Apollo cabin, but the youngest girl. It's rare that gods have girls, you know. Percy has had about thirty but over five-hundred brothers. My sister, Bianca, was one of ten. I've had about one-hundred brothers. Clarisse is, I believe, number one hundred and twenty-one out of the daughters Ares has ever had. She has over two-thousand brothers. Apollo has more girls than the other gods, along with Hermes, but... you know..."

Frank sighed. He didn't know, but he could guess. And he could only think 'What will Joe do when he finds out?' Because he couldn't think 'Joe will never know'. His brother would learn of his sister's death. He would. Because Joe would survive. He'd survived attacks before. Hundreds. What made this one any different?

Before Frank knew it, he had collapsed to the ground and tears started leaking down his face, drawing tracks in his mud and blood covered cheeks. "Frank!" He heard dimly, and he knew it was Nico. "Frank!" And then the older boy had fallen into blissful unconsciousness. He would face the world's troubles when he woke.

* * *

Will glanced up briefly as Nico and Biff entered the infirmary. They were carrying a passed out Frank. Guessing that the boy had merely fainted from all the excitement and worry, the Apollo Cabin counselor called, "Abby! Direct them to a bed! And treat them, I know they're both hiding wounds!"

The boys groaned as the blonde-haired, brown-eyed daughter of Apollo led them to three empty beds lying side by side in the back. "Put him there," she commanded, pointing to the closer one. "Then take off your shirts and pants so I can treat you."

Both squawked in protest, and she sighed before saying, "Fine! I'll get Andrew to treat you. Honestly, it isn't like I've never seen a boy in boxers before." And then she was gone.

* * *

Frank groaned as he woke up, opening his eyes and immediately shutting them again. "Joe," he moaned, "turn down the light."

There was quiet for a few seconds, and then a voice spoke quietly, "I'm not Joe, Frank. You aren't at home. You're at Camp Half-Blood in the infirmary. You passed out from stress and lack of sleep."

The younger boy froze as his memories of the last four days rushed back before jolting up in bed, eyes widening and protesting against the sudden light. "Joe?" he gasped. "Is he alive? And-" Frank's eyes went, if possible, even wider at the sight of Nico and Biff lying on beds beside him. "Are they alright?"

Will sighed, "They're fine. Biff almost lost an arm from frostbite - hyperborean, and Nico had a deep gash on one leg, but nothing ambrosia and nectar couldn't fix. How are you?"

Frank's eyes narrowed now. The son of Apollo was distracting him. "Joe?" He demanded.

Will countered, "Tell me how you're feeling, then I'll let you see him."

"He's alive?" Frank gasped.

"Yes! Now tell me how you feel!" Will caved.

"I feel fine! All I did was faint! Can I see Joe now?"

"Yes," the son of Apollo sighed. "But be quiet! He's still sleeping, and I'd like to keep it that way for a few days. At least until the majority of the pain has left him."

Frank nodded, getting out of bed, but froze and sat down, staring at Will. "What happened to him?"

"Frank-"

"What happened to him?"

Seeing that the younger boy wouldn't give it up, and knowing it would be better to tell him now before he saw Joe, Will stated, "We don't know for sure, won't know until Joe tells us, but we do have a hypothesis."

He paused, and Frank demanded, "Well?"

"He was knocked out of a tree station by a hyperborean, causing ice and frostbite to cover his left leg. When he fell to the ground, he could barely stand because of it. This meant that when a hydra came along, he couldn't defend himself well. We think he killed the hydra, but not before it bit off a good chunk of his right side and burned his left to a crisp. A large scorpion also appears to have stabbed him in the left shoulder, just above the heart, by accident with its tail. All of that has been fixed with large portions of ambrosia and nectar, though he will be tender for a few weeks."

"But he's lucky to be alive, isn't he?" Frank whispered after coming to terms with Will's news.

"Yes. Any normal person would have died. But Joe is a son of Apollo and so not only has godly blood, but can also eat and drink more ambrosia and nectar than a normal demigod. He also has faster healing due to a gift that one in every ten Apollo children get."

Frank nodded, then asked, "May I sit by his bed until he wakes up?"

"No," Will said firmly. Noticing that Joe's brother looked ready to blow to his top, he quickly finished, "But you may sleep in the bed next to him as it has just been emptied."

"Did-?"

"No, the previous resident did not die. While she was hurt badly, her father will help her sleep better in her own cabin." Seeing Frank's question, Will added, "She's a daughter of Hypnos, god of sleep."

"Ah," Frank said, and then walked over to Joe.

* * *

Joe yawned as he woke up, then held back a yelp of pain as his chest stretched with it.

"Joe?" A voice asked anxiously, and he turned his head slowly to see Frank sitting up next to him.

"Frank?" He murmured.

"Yes, Joey?"

Making a mental note to completely calm his brother down once he was fully awake - as only panic would cause Frank to revert back to the nickname he stopped using years ago - Joe mumbled, "Did you get the tag on the hellhound that hunted me down?"

Choking back a laugh, Frank said, "Yeah, I did. I believe it was hyperborean, then hydra, and last a scorpion."

Groaning, the son of Apollo asked, "How long till I can get up?"

"Never, because otherwise I don't know how you, and by extension me and Mom and Dad and Aunt Gertrude and Biff and everyone else will live to fifty."

Joe laughed, holding back more groans of pain, and then closed his eyes to get more sleep.

* * *

Frank looked up as Biff and Nico moved to stand beside him. It was a week since the Battle for Camp Half-Blood, and Joe was still in the infirmary. Thankfully, he was one of only nine demigods. Unfortunately, ten others had died fighting, along with three dryads and five satyrs. But Camp was healing. The ones who died would be honored, their memories preserved. The injured would recover. And life would move on. Because, without a titan to control time, it can't stop. So people would just move along with it, not fighting time but side by side, until the next problem arrived. Then they would fight, and the process would repeat itself. Because that's all you can do.

**So... what did you think? About 3,700 words went to the actual story! That's longer than the prequel!**

**I feel like I could do more to the end, but I don't know how. That means this is the end for this line of writing. Please review to tell me what you thought of it!**

**And in case you didn't notice, or just don't know the song, the title is from 'Make New Friends'. Yes, the Girl Scout song. Yes, the part that goes 'Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold.' I thought it worked though. **


End file.
